Ultra‐wideband Vivaldi antenna design for multisensor adaptive ground‐penetrating impulse radar

Abstract

Abstract This paper describes a partially dielectric‐loaded Vivaldi antenna (PDVA) structure that maintains ultra‐wideband antenna characteristics over a bandwidth ratio greater than 25:1 so as to improve the impulse radiation characteristics for multisensor adaptive ground‐penetrating Radar (GPR) operations. The PDVA is introduced for metal‐detector‐combined GPR head designs in order to avoid performance degradations based on the sensor interferences. It is shown that high gain, low input reflection, and signal‐ringing levels over the wide operational bands are attainable for a PDVA with proper dielectric and absorber loadings. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 834–839, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21491